Corselet



Jan. 19, 1965 w. D. BROWN 3,166,076

CORSELET Filed May 7, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

"424/044 D; Bean 1v firm/Quays W. D. BROWN Jan. 19, 1965 CORSELET 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1962 INVENTOR. m4 #244 D. BROWN flrroeA/zys.

W. D BROWN Jan. 19, 1965 CORSELET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 7, 1962INVENTOR. WLA/AM D. Beowlv flrraeueys.

United States Patent 3,166,076 CORSELET William D. Brown, Glendale,Califl, assignor to Munsingwear, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporationof Delaware Filed May 7, 1962, Ser. No. 192,874 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-436)This invention relates to womens undergarments, and particularly tocorselets.

Such garments usually include a snugly fitting girdle, and an upperportion provided with breast cups. girdles and the breast cup portionsform a single garment so that all parts of the torso may be properlyconfined.

Since the size of the girdle for any one individual wearer is not at allrelated to the size of the brassiere cups, the possible combinations ofbrassiere size and girdle size become quite numerous. Hence, the problemof supplying all such combinations becomes serious.

It is one of the objects of this invention to overcome thesedisadvantages, and particularly by providing separate girdle andbnassiere elements capable of being joined for use. In this way, anydesired size combinations may be obtained even from a limited stock.Such an advantage is of considerable importance.

When wearing the one-piece form of garment, that portion of itimmediately below the cups is intended to conform quite snugly to theupper part of the waist. In varying positions of the torso, a permanentconnection between the girdle portion and the brassiere portion hasannoying results. For example, when the arms are stretched upwardly, thebreasts also rise. They-are at least partially lifted out of the cups,since the cups are permanently joined to the girdle. Furthermore,stooping or sitting causes the upper part of the girdle portion todevelop deep wrinkles, which may in fact affect the fit of the outergarments.

it is another object of this invention, therefore, to obviate suchoccurrences.

It has also been common to provide such corselets with relatively lowbacks, to keep the top edge of the corselet out of sight even when gownsor dresses have low cut backs.

It is still another object of this invention to accomplish this result,although separation between the upper and lower part of the garment maybe effected.

This invention possessesmany other advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of oneembodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown a form inthe drawings accompanying [and forming a part of the presentspecification, and which drawings, unless as otherwise indicated, aretrue scale. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating thegeneral principles of the invention; but it is to be understood thatthis detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, sincethe scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: 7

FIGURE 1 is :a perspective View of a corselet garment shown worn on ahuman body;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along a plane correspondingto line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a corselet, shown worn on the human body, thecorselet parts being shown in normal position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the wearer with armsextended or raised, to illustrate the resultant positions of thebrassiere part and the girdle part of the garment; 7

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the garment, shown worn on a human body;

Such

3,156,076 Patented Jan; 19, 1965 "ice 3 and 4, made of single stretchelastic fabric, the stretch occurring in the direction of the arrows 5,6, 7 and 8. Interposed between these panels are the fabric panels 9, 10and 11. Any convenient form of fabric for the panels 9, 10 and 11 may beutilized, such as lace fabric with a lining of marquisette. Y

The panel 19 forms the front panel for the garment.

Bones or stays 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 may if desired be providedbetween the panels and are appropriately accommodated in pockets such as18, shown inFIG. 7. Such stays may also be provided at the ends of thegirdle. These pockets are shown 1218 extending between the topand bottomedges of the garment. i i a Appropriate garter straps, 19 of the usualtype can be attached to the lower binding edge 20.

To the right hand end of girdle part A, as shown in FIG. 7, a tape edge21 is sewn, on the reverse side, and carries two spaced rows of eyes 22and 23. The edge 22 is preferably made in a conventional way, to providea fabric backing beneath each row of eyes. At the left hand end of thegarment, a similar tape edge 24 is sewn to the reverse side of thegarment, and serves to support a row of hooks 25 adapted to engageeither of two rows of eyes 22, 23.

The structure of the corselet may be of any desired standard form, theabove description being merely utilized as an example.

The brassiere portion B of the garment includes the fabric breast cups26 and 27 made in any appropriate or conventional manner. If desired,each of these cups may 'be provided with an uplift pad 28, such as shownin FIG. 2, and may be lined with marquisette.

The lower portion of each cup is formed by a member 29 providing anedge. This edge is hollow for the reception of a stifiener wire 29a ifdesired.

The cups 26 and 27 are attached as by seams to a body encircling member30 made of appropriate fabric, such as lace or the like, lined withmarquisette. The bottom binding edge 31 is shown formed with silk orsatin tape.

The brassiere portion A is provided with a pair of shoulder straps 32,33 of conventional design. Each shoulder strap extends from the upperedge of the respective cup 26 or 27 to a point respectively near theends 34 and 35 of the body encircling member 30. A short section of eachstrap, adjacent the ends, is preferably made of elastic material. Theends 34 and 35 may if desired be reinforced by stays.

The brassiere portion B as thus far described may be of any desiredconventional structure. The specific form shown is merely an example.

Provisions are made. detachably to hold the body encircling portion 30to the girdle portion. For this purpose, elastic straps 36 and 37provided with hooks 38 and 39 are sewn to the end edges of the bodyencircling member 30. Each of these hooks 38 and 39 is intended toengage any one of a series of eyes 40, 41 formed by the aid of a tapestructure 42, 43. This tape structure slants downwardly from the upperedge of the girdle member, and toward the center of the back (FIG. 5).The hook members 40, 41' are preferably made of metal and bent at theends so as to be sewn between the elements of the tape structure 42, 43which is securely sewn to the girdle member. The tape structures 42, 43are identical.

Each maybe formed of against the upper edge 44 of the girdle member(FIG. 2).-

The degree .of overlap is such that when the arms of the wearer, asshown in FIG. '3, are in normal position, there is a relatively widedegree of overlap between the upper edge 44- of the girdle member andthe lower edge 31 of brassiere part B. However, when'the arms are raisedgirdle portion, and the other set offastening means join- ;ing the endof the other of the straps to the back of the girdle portion; saiddetachable fastening means being the sole means for joining thebrassiere portion to the girdle portion; each set of fastening meanscomprising a pair of fastening elements, one element being a tapestructure attached substantially along its entire length to the back ofthe girdle portion below the said rear edge of the said I girdle portionon the corresponding side of the girdle portion, said tape structureslanting from the center of the baclroithe girdie portion upwardlytoward the corresponding strap, there being a series of eyes spacedlongitudinally of the tape structure, the second element being a hookmember carried by the end of the corresponding strap for in the positionof FIG. 4, the brassiere member B is al- 7 lowed to rise upwardly, thedegree of overlap being somea what reduced. a V V a The inventor claims:

1. In an undergarmentz a girdle portion, having an upper front edge andan upper rear edge; an entirely separate brassiere portion; saidbrassiere portion having cups as well as a body member to which the cupsare attached, said body member, having ends located at opposite sides ofthe brassiere portion, said brassiere portion having straps at thesaidtends of the body member'adapted to extend from the sides of thewearerv toward the back; the

body member being designed substantially to overlie the upper front edgeof said girdle portion; and two sets of detachable fastening means, oneset of fastening means joining the end of one of said straps to'the backof the cooperative engagement with any one of the eyes of. thecorresponding tape structure; each of said straps upon attachment to thegirdle portion slanting downwardly at its end so as to extend below thelevel of the body member to. exert a force having a substantial downwardcomponent on said brassiere portion, said straps being attached to eachother at the center of the back of the undergarmentonly through thegirdle portion.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said straps are madeof longitudinally elastic material.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS71,899,890 Cunningham Feb. 28, 1933 2,090,076 Siegel Aug. 17, 19372,158,506 Kaupp May 16, 1939 2,160,078 Mayer May 30, 1939 2,366,026Hawes Dec. 26, 1944

1. IN AN UNDERGARMENT: A GIRDLE PORTION HAVING AN UPPER FRONT EDGE ANDAN UPPER REAR EDGE; AN ENTIRELY SEPARATE BRASSIERE PORTION; SAIDBRASSIERE PORTION HAVING CUPS AS WELL AS A BODY MEMBER TO WHICH THE CUPARE ATTACHED, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING ENDS LOCATED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OFTHE BRASSIERS PORTION, SAID BRASSIERS PORTION HAVING STRAPS AT THE SAIDENDS OF THE BODY MEMBER ADAPTED TO EXTEND FROM THE SIDES OF THE WEARERTOWARD THE BACK; THE BODY MEMBER BEING DESIGNED SUBSTANTIALLY TO OVERLIETHE UPPER FRONT EDGE OF SAID GIRDLE PORTION; AND TWO SETS OF DETACHABLEFASTENING MEANS, ONE SET OF FASTENING MEANS JOINING THE END OF ONE OFSAID STRAPS TO THE BACK OF THE GIRDLE PORTION, AND THE OTHER SET OFFASTENING MEANS JOINING THE END OF THE OTHER OF THE STRAPS TO THE BACKOF THE GIRDLE PORTION; SAID DETACHABLE FASTENING MEANS BEING THE SOLEMEANS FOR JOINING THE BRASSIER PORTION TO THE GIRDLE PORTION; EACH SETOF FASTENING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF FASTENING ELEMENTS, ONE ELEMENTBEING A TAPE STRUCTURE ATTACHED SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG IS ENTIRE LENGTH TOTHE BACK OF THE GIRDLE PORTION BELOW THE SAID REAR EDGE OF THE SAIDGIRDLE PORTION ON THE CORRESPONDING SIDE OF THE GIRDLE PORTION, SAIDTAPE STRUCTURE SLANTING FROM THE CENTER OF THE BACK OF THE GIRDLEPORTION UPWARDLY TOWARD THE CORRESPONDING STRAP, THERE BEING A SERIES OFEYES SPACED LONGITUDINALLY